Jacksonville Man Faces 19 Counts of Sex Crimes

A Jacksonville man faces 19 counts of sex crimes against six different girls younger than 16 over a year-long period, The Florida Times-Union reports.

While there are certain defendants who may get a break based on their criminal history or the alleged crime itself, a sex crime in Jacksonville is not one of those crimes.
Make no mistake about it — while judges must try to remain impartial and prosecutors are sworn to analyze every case based on the law, they tend to punish defendants charged with sex offenses more harshly than other suspects.

Jacksonville criminal defense lawyers can use pre-trial motions to cut back on what evidence is available at trial and will otherwise prepare an aggressive defense through questioning of witnesses. Prosecutors often stack the charges, meaning they file multiple charges against a defendant in order to gain an advantage. Your defense lawyer may also have some success in getting charges reduced, combined or dismissed.

According to The Florida Times-Union, the man was arrested Sept. 7 and charged with capital sexual battery on a victim younger than 12 — a life felony — and 11 counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, three of which are on a victim younger than 12.

The man also is charged with multiple counts of lewd and lascivious conduct and sale, distribution or showing of obscene material to minors, including showing obscene material to another alleged victim.

The man, overall, faces 19 charges. He is a registered sexual offender and has never been arrested in Florida. According to the newspaper report, the victims told authorities the alleged sex acts happened at the man’s house.

It’s unclear what the relationship was between the man and the alleged victims or how they came into contact with each other.

While these charges typically come down to witness testimony — unless DNA evidence is involved — they can still be complex cases. While prosecutors will attempt to work out a plea deal in order to avoid a minor testifying, that doesn’t mean the offer will be good or even worth considering.

What is important is making sure witnesses and alleged victims are telling the truth. Teenagers and even children who are younger are just as likely or more likely to lie because they aren’t aware of the consequences.

It often happens that children aren’t truthful about a crime because they think it will get a person in trouble who they don’t like. But beyond that, it can mean a person does prison time if not for a fair trial. That’s why it is critical to question alleged victims to prove they aren’t telling the truth and in order to make sure a defendant doesn’t get wrongly accused and sent to prison based on false testimony.

The Forbess Law Firm has been aiding clients who face criminal charges in Jacksonville for more than a decade and is here to provide aggressive criminal defense to anyone accused of a crime. If you or a loved one requires a Jacksonville criminal defense lawyer, contact our firm today. We are available through our website or by calling us at 904-634-0900.